Gas-engine.



PATENTED JAN. 23, 1906. B. P. PORTER & W. R. WHIIIING.

GAS ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24, 1900. RENEWED MAR. 16. 1905.

3 SHBET$-SHEET 1.

E. FSPORTER & w. R WHITING. GAS ENGINE;

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24, 1900. RENEWED MAR. 16. l90 5.

PATENTED JAN. 23, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHBET 2.

76 I Wiblcsscs: 1 fiwenlons' H firm 3% W No. 810,565. PATENTED JAN. 23, 1906. E. P. PORTER & W. R. WHITING.

GAS ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24. 1900. RENEWED MAR.16, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN F. PORTER AND WALTER R.

WHITING, OF BOSTON, MASSACHU- SETTS, ASSIGNORS TO AMERICAN ROTARY ENGINE COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

GAS-ENGINE.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 23, 1906.

Application filed November 24, 1900. Renewed March 16, R105. Serial No. 250,405.

To all whom it may concern.-

' and the cylinder, as the relation between the parts varies during therotation of the crankshaft, and the consequent vibration which has hitherto practically unfitted a gas-engine for use on relatively delicate mechanism or machines, as motor-carriages and the like; second, to provide agas-engine of the type mentioned with means wherebyit may e changed to increase or reduce its power without varying the degree of com ression of the explosive mixture, and, third to equip an engine of the character last referred to with means for automatically regulating the oper-- ation of the valve in. accordancewith the power'developed by the engine; fourth,'to improve gas-engines of the type referred to in numerous other ways, all as hereinafter fully described.

Referring to the accompanying drawings; which-illustrate one embodiment of in invention, Figure 1 represents in front e evanal section through the engine and illustrates an electrical circuit diagrammatically. Figs. 3 and 4 show a modified valve mechanism which we sometimes employ.

The engine-cylinder consists of an openended tube 10, over which are sli ped a number of collars 11, each of which a uts against two adjacent collars, so as to completely cover the tube 10-. These strengt ening bands or collars accordingly increase'the resistance of the tube 10, and they are each provided-with a flange 12 for disslpating the heat. It will be observed that the flanges are greater-at that part of the cylinder where the explosion occurs, sothat the cooling of the cylinder is evened or equalized throughout its length. One of the bands or collars .13 is relatively wide and is formed onone side with the outwardly-projecting shelf 14, which is bored to form the inlet and the out let for the explosive mixture and the products of combustion, respectively, all as will be subsequently explained. The cylinderheads are indicated at 15 and 16, respectively, and they are securely clamped against the ends of the c linder by the elongated bolts 17 17, passe through lugs formed in said heads.

The'cylinder head 16 is open to permit the passage of the piston-rods, and it is cast in the form of a casing 18 to afford bearings for the crank shafts and. to provide a hous ingfor the gears and cranks on said shafts. The c linder is provided iriternall with the shoul er 19, so that the internal iameter of one end of the cylinder ,is slightly greater than that of-the other end. In the smaller end of the. cylinder is placed the trunk-piston 20, which .is providedpwithi. the usual packing 21.

Bolted or otherwise secured to the piston is a plate 22, provided with two cars or lugs 23 23, which are exactly similar and which are arran ed at equal distances from the axial line of t e iston in aplane coinciding with said line. referably said ears or lugs 23 occupy a position substantially half-way between the ends of the radii of the piston in which they are ing connected to the crank 25 of a cranklocated. Pivotedto each of the ears or lugs 23 is a connecting-rod 24, one of said rods be shaft 26, while the other of said connec'tin rods is connected to a similar crank of a sha t 28. The two connecting-rods of the two indicated at30. The two fly-wheels are duplicates of each other and they are arranged on opposite ends of the shafts-26 28, as shown in F1 1, and .are designedto rotate in opposite 'rectionsl' -To this end the shafts 26 28 are geared together by straight s ur-gears 31 32, said gears being duplicates each other.

' The crank shafts are also provided with weights w, which aside from any function as counterweights also serve to maintain a relatively even contact between the, peripheries ofthe gears 31 32 and assisting in maintaining uniformity of rotation and evenness of movement throughout the entire system.

By this construction and arrangement it will be seen that when the piston is reciprocated gine reduced to a minimum.

In order to prevent the fly-wheels from rotating in a reverse direction, the housing 18 is provided with an extension- 33, having internal cam-shaped sockets 34 to receive rollers 35, which become wedged in said sockets on reverse rotation of the fly-wheel 30.

l The said rolls 35 normal] rest lightly upon the periphery of the fly-w eel and are carried to the larger ends of the cam-shaped sockets 34 when the fly-wheel 30 is rotating in the proper direction, and will therefore offer no impediment to the movement of said wheel.

We shall now proceed to describe the valveoperating mechanism.

In the band or collar 13 are formed two ducts, each leading to the interior of the cylinder in the plane of the shoulder 19. One of the said ducts is indicated in Fig. 2 by the numeral 36, and it serves as the inlet for the exlosive mixture, the other (not shown) serving as the outlet for the products of combusthe inlet-duct forms the igniting-chamber,

, tion.

Secured to the shelf or projection 14 are two valve-casings 37 and 38,-respectively, one for the gas-inlet and the other for-the outlet of theproducts of combustion. The two casings and the valves therein are precisely similar, so that we shall describe only one of them. I Each casing is externally threaded at its lower end to be screwed into a socket in the shelf, or pro'ection 14 of the band or collar 13. The si e of the casing is apertured to receive the inlet-pipe 39 for the explosive mixture, min the case of the exhaust-valve chamber the exhaust-pipe 40 for the products of combustion. The lower end of each casing is beveled, as at 41, to form a seat for the valve 42, and below said seat there is a recess 43 for the valve when the latter is moved to open position. Said recess in and in it are placed two s ghtly-separated electrodes, between which may be formed the spark. One of the electrodes is indicated'at 44, and it is connected with a Ruhmkorff coil, as will be subsequently I explained. The

' valve-casings are mounted upon the ends of valve-stems 45 46, respectively, each ,of which is equipped with a collar 47, between which and the end of the casing there is a spring 48, which by its pressure a ainst the collar tends to hold the valve norma ly seated.

The valve-spindles pass through the lugs 49 on the cylinder-head 16 and upon their ends are. equipped with rollers 50 51, respectively,

actuated by cams 52 53 upon a shaft 54,

journaled in bearings 55, afforded by the housing 18. v The shaft receives its rotative movement from the crank-shaft 28, .there being interposed between said shafts a gearwheel 56 on the shaft 54, intermeshing with and driven by a pinion 57 on the crank-shaft 28. The ratio of the gears 56 57 is as two is to one, so that for each two. rotations of the crank-shaft 28 and each two double reci rocations of the piston 20' the gear-whee 56 will receive ,one rotation.

The sparking apparatus or ap aratus for igniting the ex losive mixture a er it is introduced into t e cylinder consists of an electrical circuit having two independent circuitclosers by means of which a succession of sparks may be caused at the igniting-electrodes.

On the crank-shaft 28 is placed an interrupter consisting of a commutator 58, having a series of conducting and insulating sections arranged alternately. Against this commutator rest two brushes 59 and 60, which are suitably supported upon insulating material, so as to be insulated from each other. When the two brushes rest upon a conducting-section of the commutator, other conditions being proper, the current is caused to how through the circuit. The other circuitclosing device consists of a collar 61 on a shaft 54,

and having a single conducting-section 62. Two brushes 63 and 64 are mounted upon a support 65, attached to the casing, said brushes being insulated from each other and being adapted to rest simultaneousl against the section 62 to have the circuit c osed between them. The brushes 59 and 63 64 are arranged in series in the primary circuit, which includes a generator 66. The primary of the Ruhmkorfi coil is indicated at,67, the secondary coil being indicated at 68 and forming a part of the induction circuit, which includes the igniting-electrodes 44.

Inasmuch as the movement of the shaft 54 is relatively slow, the brushes 63 64 remain in engagement with the section 62a relatively long period of time, during which a plurality of conducting-sections of the commutator 68 are engaged with the brushes 59 and 60, whereby the circuit will be closed and broken rapidly a number of times to cause a plurality ofsparks at the igniting-electrodes to follow one another in rapid succession.

Assuming that the cylinder is provided with a suitable abutment, such as the one which we shall subsequently describe, and that the piston is in the position shownin Fig. 2 with the charge of explosive mixture is a compressed condition, the valves being likewise in their closed positions, the formation of sparks at the igniting-electrodes will cause the mixture to explode and drive the piston toward the other end of the cylinder. The momentum ac uired by the fly-wheels during the outward movement of the piston will be sufiicient to cause them to make several rotations, so that as the piston moves back to original position after the explosion the exhaust-valve is opened and the products of combustion are forced out through the exhaust-duct. its original position and begins its outward movement once more the inlet-valve is opened by the cam and a fresh charge of the explosive mixture is drawn into the cylinder.- At the instant, however, that the piston reaches the outer extreme of its movement the inlet-valve may be closed, (except as hereinafter explained,) and the following movement of thepisto'n will compressthe explosive mixture to the proper extent, ready for its ignition and consequent explosion. The valve-cams are properly timed to effect the-opening movement of the valve at the proper time andfor the proper period of time.

Itbeing our urpose to render the motor variable as to the. power which is developed thereby, we have provided mechanism by means of which the operative volume may be varied and a greater or smaller uantity of the explosive mixture may'be exp oded with in the cylinder without varying the degree of compression thereof. To this end we employ an adjustable'abutment 70. Said abut mentfills the open lower end of the cylinder and is providedwith packing-rim s 71. Said abutment is centrally aperturev to receive .the end of a pin 7 2, which is threaded, as at 73, and passed through an internally-threaded aperture located centrally in the cylinderhead 15. Said abutment is provided with an annulus 7 4, around which is placed a coiled spring 75 with its outer end pressing against the cylinder, and it permits the abutment to:

-'yield when the explosive mixture is being compressed by the downward or inward movement of the piston 20. The opposite erative volume 0 movement of the abutment permits the scavenging of the cylinder after an explosion. The downward and outward movement of the abutment is limited by the end of the pin ,72,

the said pin likewise acting as a guide to prevent the abutment from twisting on a transverse axis. By adg'usting the screw? 3 the op the cylinder may be increased or diminished at will ,and to'adjust said pinit is equipped on its outer end with a drank 76 and hand e 7 7. Were the abutment adj ust- As soon as the piston reaches ed, however, andthe same quantit of explosive mixture injected regardless o the operative volume of the cylinder, said mixture would be compressed'to a greater orless extent inversely, proportional to the volume of the cylinderthat is to say, if the abutment were adjusted to lessen the space between it and the piston when the latter is in the position shown in Fig. 2 the explosive mixture would should be compressed to a predetermined degreesay, for instance, three atmospheresand we provide means controlled by the position of the abutment or the adjusting-pin whereby irrespective of the position of the abutment the compression of the gaseous mix- Y ture will be the same in all cases. The amount of aseous mixture, however, drawn into the cy inder by the outward movement of. the piston is unvarying, the abutment at this time occupying a position with its edge engaging the shoulder 19, and consequently in order to vary the volume of said mixture which is retained and compressed in the cylinder we rovide means for part of it passing backwar into the inlet-p1 e, and we are obliged, therefore, to obtaln a differential actuation of the inlet-valve spindle. 'The. pipe 39, through which the gaseous mixture 1s admitted'to': the valve-chamber, 37, is provided with a back check-valve 80, and between said valve and the valve-casing 37 a coupling 81 is inserted in the pi e, said coupling having a nozzle 82, 'aroun which is secured the mouth ofja gas-bag 83,, sothat if thevalve 42 beheld open when the iston begins its compressing action a part 0 the gaseous mixture will pass backward through the valve-chamber and will partially fill the gasbag 83-.

the check-valve 80. The next time, how ever,,that' the explosive mixture is drawn into the cylinder it escapes from the ba first before the check-valve 80 is raised, an

consequently the gas which escaped into the Its esca e through thepipe 39 on the other side of t e gas-bag is prevented by well having e duration 1 gas-inducing stroke of the piston.

The parts are so constructed and timed that wh 11 the abutment is adjusted to its extreme of outward movement the valve will be shut at the instant the piston 20 begins its compressing movement. The cam 52 at this time occupies a position to the extreme right, as shown in Fig. 1, and as the abutment is adjusted nearer and nearer the center of the cylinder the cam 52 is gradually slid to the left to lengthen the period of time in which the valve is held in open position. To secure this movement of the cam, said cam is secured rigidlyto the shaft 54 and the said shaft is moved bodily lengthwise, the parts all being so constructed as to permit this without varying the operative relation between the several contacting or coacting parts. On the end of a rod 87 is formed a wedge-shaped yoke 88, which operatively engages a collar 89 on the end of the shaft 54. The other end of the rod 87 is secured by nuts to the arm 90, which projects laterally from a'sleeve 91 on the pin 72, the said collar being held against axial movement relatively to said pin, although the pin is free to rotate therein. The said rod is passed through apertures in the cylinder-head, whereby it is guided in its movements.

From this description it will be seen that when the abutment-adjusting deviceto wit, the pin 7 2is adjusted, the shaft 54 and the cam 52 are likewise adjusted.

It is evident that instead of drawing the full charge of explosive mixture into the cylinder and then expelling a portion we may arrange to have drawn into the cylinder only that amount of explosive mixture which is necessary, and we accompish this by a very slight change in the mechanism which we have describedthat is to say, instead of holding the valve open during all the time that the piston continues its u ward or outward inducing movement an a portion of the time in which it makes its compressing movement we provide for closing the valve during the inducing movement 'of the piston just as soon as the proper amount of explosive mixture has entered the cylinder. To do this, it is merely necessary to reverse the dwell upon the cam 52-that is to say, in-

stead of having the dwell increase from left to right the dwell in this case is decreased from left to right,its greatest circumferential portion being at the left end of the cam. Consequently we provide for the valve. 42 being closed prior to the completion of the upward In either event we secure the differential operation of the valve 42 and provide for the retention in the cylinder of only that amount of explosive mixture which is desirable to secure the constant and unvarying compression of the derstood that we have in no wise limited ourselves, we achieve several desirable and im- I portant results. In the first place we obviate all vibration and secure a smooth and easy action of the crank-shafts by mounting the two fly-wheels on the opposite ends of their respective crank-shafts, for since said shafts are arranged parallel, as we have explained, they balance each other and largely assist in preventing the vibration referred to. Secondly, we are enabled to convert the engine from a high to a low horse-power by merely adjusting the abutment, have spoken of adjusting the abutment because although we have shown the abutment as being heldnormally in inoperative position by a spring, yet if the abutment were'connected directly to the pin 72 the re- (We have sult would be no different upon adjusting the screw, although the abutment would not in that case serve to eject the products of combustion after an explosion.) We also attain other results whichwill be apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates, but to which it is unnecessary here to refer. We do not herein claim the igniting devices.

We claim i 1. An engine comprising apiston and cylinder, a pair of crank-shafts mounted parallel with each other, a pair of connecting-rods extending from said piston to said shafts, a gear mounted on each shaft and intermeshing one with the other, and a fly-wheel keyed to one end of each crank-shaft and located on op' posite sides of the engine. I

2. An engine comprising a piston and cylinder, a pair of crank-shafts mounted parallel with each other, a air of connecting-rods extending from said piston to said shafts, a gear mounted on each shaft and intermeshing one with the other, a weight carried by each shaft, and a fly-wheel keyed to one end of each crank-shaft and locatedon opposite sides of the engine.

3. An engine comprising a piston and cylinder, a pair of crank-shafts mounted parallel with each other, a pair of connecting-rods extending from said piston to said shafts, flywheels mounted on each shaft and means for automaticall preventing reverse rotation of said fly-w eels.

4. An engine comprising a piston and cylinder, a pair of crank-shafts mounted parallel with each other, a pair of connecting-rods extending from said piston to said shafts, flywheels mounted on each shaft, and means normally in engagement with the periphery of each fly-wheel adapted to automatically prevent reverse rotation thereof.

5. A gas-engine comprising a iston and cylinder having means whereby al the explosive mixture is drawn into the cylinder by the piston, an abutment located in said cylinder, a threaded pin arranged to vary the position- -IIO otsaid abutment whereby the operative volume is correspondingly varied, a threaded collar working on said threaded pin, and means operated by said collar for automatically varying the amount of explosive mixture compressed within said cylinder.

6. A gas-engine comprising a piston and cylinder having means whereby all the explosive mixture is drawn into the cylinder by the piston, an abutment located within said cylinder a pin serving'as a guide for said abutment, means for adjusting said pin, whereby the position of said abutment is varied, and means automatically operated by said pin for varying the amount of explosive mixture compressed within said cylinder.

7. A gasengine comprising a piston and cylinder having means whereby all the explosive mixture is drawn into the cylinder by the piston, a cushioned abutment located within said cylinder and means for simultaneously varying the relative position of said abutment-and varying the amount of explosive mixture compressed within said cylinder.

8. A gas-engine comprising a iston and cylinder having means whereby al the explosive mixture is drawn into the cylinder by the piston, an abutment located in said cylinder, a threaded pin arranged to vary the position of said abutment whereby the operative volume is correspondingl varied, valve mechanism for admitting exp osive mixture to said cylinder, means for operating the same, a threaded collar working on said threaded pin and means operated by said collar for varying the relation between said valve mechanism and its operating means.

9. A gas-engine having a piston and cylinder, means for varying the operative volume in said cylinder, and mechanism automatically controlled by said means, whereby said piston is permitted to draw the explosive mixture into the cylinder and automatically expel a predetermined portion thereof, said mechanism also permitting the entrance of the expelled mixture to the cylinder at the next cycle of operation of the engine.

10. A gas-engine comprising a piston and cylinder, means for varying the operative vol ume within said cylinder, an inlet-valve, means -.for operating the same, means automatically controlled by said volume-varying means for controlling said valve, operating means whereby the piston is permitted to draw the explosive mixture into the cylinder and expel a predetermined portion thereof past said inlet-valve and means for receiving said expelled explosive.

11. A gas-engine comprising a cylinder and piston, an abutment located in said cylmder, a threaded rod for varying the position .of said abutment, a collar working on said rod, and mechanism automatically controlled by the movement of said collar, whereby a part of the explosive mixture is permitted to escape from said cylinder.

12. A gas-engine comprising a cylinder and piston, an abutment located in said-cylinder, a threaded rod for varying the position of said abutment, a collar working on said rod, an inlet-valve, mechanism for operating the same having means for controlling the movement of said valve whereby a part of the explosive mixture is expelled from said cyllnder, and connections between said collar and said valve mechanism, whereby the valvecontrolling means is automatically operated.

13. A gas-engine comprising a piston and cylinder, an adjustable abutment located in the latter, an inlet-pipe having a check-valve, an inlet-valve intermediate of said checkvalve and said. cylinder, valve-operating mechanism for said check-valve arranged to permit the iston to draw the explosive mixture into t e cylinder and to expel a part thereof into said inlet-pipe past said inletvalve, and a gas-bag intermediate of said inlet and check valves ada ted to receive the expelled gas whereby the atter is introduced into the cylinder for the next succeeding explosion.

14. A gas-engine having a piston and cylinder, an abutment located in the latter, a threaded rod for adjusting the same, an inlet-valve, differential valve-o erating mechanism, a threaded collar working on said rod, and connections between said collar and said valve-operating mechanism.

In testimony whereof we have affixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN F. PORTER. WALTER R. WHITING.

Witnesses:

MARCUS B..MAY, C. C. STEcHER. 

